The Alex Bregman saga dragged on into spring training until the Boston Red Sox ultimately prevailed, signing the star infielder to a 3-year, $120 million contract with opt-outs after each season.

The Cubs’ offer was reportedly the same amount of money on a 4-year contract but lacked other enticing options to bring Bregman to the Friendly Confines.

The Detroit Tigers were also in the hunt for Bregman, but, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI in Boston, people inside the Red Sox organization believed the Cubs were their biggest competitor.

Bregman’s agent Scott Boras pushed the timeline to get the deal done. It started with phone calls from players within the Boston organization like Trevor Story and Garrett Crochet. They even put in a nice touch with Bregman’s MLB idol Dustin Pedroia giving him a call.

While Boston wasn’t the only team using similar recruitment tactics, they also inserted the opt-out clauses in the contract. Those opt-out clauses, in the end, were seen as the difference-makers, sending Bregman to Boston for 2025.

It allows him to earn a hefty salary in 2025 and still hit the open market again next season if he wanted – similar to the Cody Bellinger deal the Cubs signed in spring 2024.